12 March 2025
Celebrating its 41st year, APLF has firmly established itself as a premier event in the leather and fashion accessories industry. Held in Hong Kong, the event serves as a crucial entry point into the flourishing markets of Mainland China and Southeast Asia. This prime location offers unparalleled access to regions where economic growth is outpacing traditional Western markets at a rate of three to one. These regions are providing exporters with a confidence and optimism not seen elsewhere, offering fertile ground for the leather, footwear, and accessories sectors.
The whole leather supply chain will be present at APLF Leather 2025 and the event is regarded as the Meeting Place of the Global Leather Industry.
Many international bodies such as the IULTCS, ICHSLTA, ICT and Leather Naturally amongst others are present at APLF for their annual meetings.
In addition, there will be 24 national pavilions from the main leather countries of the world joining APLF, including Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Pakistan, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye, USA and Uzbekistan.
The leather industry in China and Southeast Asia is on track for steady expansion in the coming years. Key sectors such as footwear, fashion accessories, automotive, and upholstery are driving this growth. As these regions continue to develop economically, both consumer and industrial demand for leather products is set to rise.
China remains the largest consumer of leather in Asia, according to Leather International’s Global Leather Market Report 2024-2030. The report highlights that footwear will be the primary driver of this growth, fueled by an expanding middle class and a surge in demand for both premium and athletic footwear. By 2030, China’s leather footwear market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 8%. The luxury leather goods sector, including bags and wallets, is also on track for growth, supported by rising disposable incomes and increasing consumer preference for high-end products.
Southeast Asia, particularly countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, is following a similar growth trajectory. The World Trade Organization (WTO) report predicts that the region’s leather demand will grow at a rate of 5-6% annually by 2030, with footwear production continuing to lead the way. Leather demand in the automotive and upholstery sectors is also rising, especially in premium vehicles and high-end furniture.
As demand for leather increases, both China and Southeast Asia will rely heavily on imports. Finished leather, in particular, is expected to see significant import growth. China is projected to remain the world’s largest importer of finished leather, while Southeast Asia, despite its strong manufacturing capabilities, will similarly depend on imports to meet demand (Source: International Leather Industry Association (ILIA), “Leather Demand Trends in Asia 2025-2030”).
APLF Leather offers a valuable opportunity for suppliers to connect directly with key buyers from China and the broader Asian market, all under one roof in a professional, focused environment.
Alongside the growth in leather consumption, consumer demand for leather goods, footwear, and fashion accessories is expected to rise significantly. A report from McKinsey forecasts that by 2030, 60% of China’s population will belong to the middle class. This demographic shift is expected to drive an increase in luxury leather goods consumption.
The Southeast Asian leather goods market, valued at $5.9 billion in 2023, is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.7% between 2025 and 2030, according to Market Data Forecast. This makes the region a crucial market for global manufacturers.
Fashion Access is a pivotal platform for sourcing leather goods in Asia, with a broad range of bags, small leather goods, garments, cashmere and fashion accessories. It’s the ideal venue for department stores, wholesalers, and buying offices to discover the latest trends and products for upcoming seasons.
A key feature of APLF is Materials+, which showcases fashion materials and components with a strong focus on sustainability.
A Nielsen study found that 73% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, yet 48% of brands struggle with sourcing innovative materials. With the footwear sector booming, particularly in casual footwear and sneakers, the demand for new materials is rising. The global synthetic materials market, valued at $37 billion in 2023, is projected to grow to $57 billion by 2028, with China and Southeast Asia leading the way.
In response, Materials+ has launched a new sustainability system that categorises suppliers and products based on innovation, recyclability, biodegradability, circularity, and ESG policies, which align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Materials+ Sustainable Sector embraces the sustainability aspect of products and materials. Exhibitors in the sector demonstrate active change and innovation in key sustainability areas. There are Six Pillars of Materials+ Sustainable Sector: Recycled Materials, Biobased Materials, Circular Solutions, Sustainable Natural Materials, Environmentally Responsible Manufacturing and Social Compliance.
As the world shifts toward a more sustainable future, Materials+ aims to foster ethical manufacturing in fashion.
The trade show is enhanced by a variety of informative seminars, conferences, and workshops, all designed to offer practical knowledge for decision-makers in the industry. In the meantime, we highlight five events:
The symposium took place on 11 March, one day before the trade fair began. This half-day conference featuring hot topics impacting the leather supply chain from farm to finished product. The conference was co-hosted by our media partner International Leather Maker (ILM).
The Global Footwear Executive Summit (GFES) is an annual event bring together top executives, industry leaders, and professionals from the global footwear sector, serving as a pivotal gathering for networking, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. The summit will focus on the pressing challenges and opportunities within the footwear industry.
The L.E.D. Project is a collaborative initiative of APLF where “Leather” becomes the common language to connect APLF Leather exhibitors with young, independent Designers. Tanneries provide the leather …designers create the magic.
In its third edition, sponsored by the Italian Vegetable Tanned Leather Consortium, six talented designers from China, Vietnam, Japan, and Pakistan collaborate on APLF edition handbags using Tuscan vegetable-tanned leather. You can view the APLF Edition Handbags as part of the LED Project Halls 3FG and a sharing session at 4pm today at the Main Stage.
Artifacts Live: A Legacy in Leather is a partnership exhibition between De Montfort University (DMU) and the Leathercraft Trust Collections. Artifacts Asia is an excerpt from the original exhibition, specially designed to showcase at APLF.
This project celebrates the fusion of heritage leathercraft skills with emerging technologies, encouraging future artists and designers to engage with pioneering product developments.
Over 100 esteemed buyers were hosted for a visit to APLF. On the second day morning of the event, these buyers will have the exclusive opportunity to participate in a special business matching breakfast meeting. During this session, a total of 800 tailored business matching meetings will be arranged, offering a platform for meaningful connections and collaborations to flourish. These gathering promises to be a pivotal moment for networking and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships.
As well as the five highlighted events described above, there are many more scheduled in the coming three days to cater for a multiplicity of interests, from technical issues involved in leather making to upcoming fashion trends and colours.
Details of all onsite events can be found on aplf.com.
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We bring leather, material and fashion businesses together: an opportunity to meet and greet face to face. We bring them from all parts of the world so that they can find fresh partners, discover new customers or suppliers and keep ahead of industry developments.
We organise a number of trade exhibitions which focus on fashion and lifestyle: sectors that are constantly in flux, so visitors and exhibitors alike need to be constantly aware both of the changes around them and those forecast for coming seasons.
